The Citizen: and the making of 'City'

In 1960, Roy Fisher began writing "The Citizen," a significant work that combined evocation, maundering, imagining, fiction, and autobiography to explore his connection with Birmingham. This breakthrough fragment has been edited by Peter Robinson and placed in conjunction with the first 1961 published version of Fisher's signature collage of poetry and prose, along with a longer manuscript found among the poet's archive at the University of Sheffield. The publication also includes previously unpublished poems considered for inclusion and an anthology of Fisher's comments on "City." It provides a unique insight into Fisher's most emblematic work and his response to changes wrought upon England's industrial cities in the middle of the 20th century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Bloodaxe Books Ltd

In 1960, Roy Fisher made a significant shift in his artistic approach when he confided in Gael Turnbull about his newly-committed writing process. He had embarked on a frenzied writing spree, producing a substantial prose book that would span the length of a short novel. Titled "The Citizen," this work marked a profound transformation in Fisher's artistic expression. He sought a means to convey his deep emotional connection with Birmingham, drawing upon his unique sensibility and a vast reservoir of materials that promised to sustain his artistic endeavors throughout his lifetime.

Much later in his career, Fisher would assert that "Birmingham is what I think with." This intricate blend of evocation, maundering, imagination, fiction, and autobiography, as he referred to it, was crafted with the intention of allowing Fisher to explore and examine his own thoughts. The work, which had remained largely unknown until Fisher's passing in 2017, had previously been utilized as the prose sections in "City." However, it was believed that it had not survived in its entirety.

In a groundbreaking endeavor, Peter Robinson, the literary executor of Roy Fisher, has assembled the pivotal fragment from "The Citizen" and seamlessly integrated it with the first published version of Fisher's iconic collage of poetry and prose from 1961. Additionally, Robinson has unearthed a longer manuscript of the work, which was discovered among Fisher's archive at the University of Sheffield. This comprehensive publication also includes some previously unpublished poems that were considered for inclusion during the intricate evolution of "The Citizen."

By presenting the definitive 1969 text of "City," along with two variant versions, its prose origins in "The Citizen" and its continuation in "Then Hallucinations," as well as a selection of poetry left behind, this landmark publication offers a singular insight into the essence of Roy Fisher's most emblematic work. It is complemented by an anthology of Fisher's own comments on "City," providing a deeper understanding of his artistic vision. Furthermore, a comprehensive secondary bibliography of criticism on his prose is included, enriching the reader's appreciation of this remarkable artistic endeavor.

Weight: 558g
Dimension: 157 x 232 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781780375960